Urinary Incontinence Medicines

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Medicines for bladder control generally work by blocking signals that may cause muscle spasms in the bladder muscles.

Talk with your doctor about how your OAB medicine is working. If your symptoms are not improving, ask about the possibility of shifting to one of the newer drugs.

Anticholinergics suppress overactive muscle activity, which may be causing the bladder to contract during the filling stage and also suppress involuntary bladder contractions and help decrease urinary frequency as well as the “gotta go” sensation.

Side Effects

Some women break out in hives. They may also experience swelling of the skin, eyes, lips, and mucous membranes. Typically, this side effect does not last long. If you experience side effects, contact your doctor and seek care.

Anticholinergic bladder medications can cause your eyes to become sensitive to light. These medicines also keep you from sweating and can cause dry mouth. ** Myrbetriq works through a different pathway than the other medications and may cause an elevation in your blood pressure. If you take any of these medicines, you may need to take a few steps to deal with side effects:

Wear sunglasses if your eyes become more sensitive to light

Take care not to become overheated

Chew gum or suck on sugarless hard candy to avoid dry mouth

Increase fiber in your diet or use a stool softener or osmotic laxative to help with constipation